Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1887-05-06
to you and lay my heart at your feet"
She waved her hand in mute farewell.
CHAPTER XXI.
81 AN YOUR BROTHER

1t was in the month of December. Robert
Edgerly had fingered on in America since
June. Late in the autumn Brownie Joined
him. There was to he reunion of all the
scattered Carstones in the stone house at
Christmas.
There had been change upon change for all
but Shirley. As if to annhilate all tho old
from the face of nature itself, a new railway
had been built through Linwood 1t cut
through the woods where the villagers had
been wont to picnic, on Fourth of July and
on other occasions time out of mind. This
fine old wood had been the last bit of native
forest of any size left in that region. Now
its picturesquencss was destroyed by the new
railway.
Along the iron track of the new road
walked, of a crisp, frosty morning. our old
friend, Rip the Tramp. On second thoughts
yes he is our friend He is indeed very far
gone in trampism now, and disreputable as
tother party's record before election, but for
for all that we won't disown him.
No, by the holy dollar. We have been
among grand people of late, but we will not
therefore deny our old acquaintance. You
would not have known Rip Exposure, over
drinking. under and over feeding and wick
edness had written their story all over him
he skunk along, regular tramp gait. His
trousers legs were sitted to the knees His
eyes were red and watery. The one sign that
distinguishes infallibly tramp from every
other human being is his shoes. They are In
variably wretched, down at the heel, split out
and utterly hopeless. As long as a human
being has vestige Of responsibility left he
proclaims it by pair of decent shoes.
Rips foot covering, if you could call it
that, scarcely chung to his disreputable feet
He coughed hoarsely from time to time His
arms and knees trembled. He was bent like
a man of so. A doctor would have prophe-
sled that his body would be found on the dis
secting table of a medical college in three
months time.
Rip talked aloud to himself, as most uncult.
ured persons do. He looked about him as
he souched along, now at the familiar wood,
now at the unfamiliar iron track of the new
railway. He suddenly found himself almost
at the very spot where he knocked poor Sam
over He was uncomfortable as he recol-
lected it.
"Ach!" he exclaimed, a never meant to
kill him The old fool Why didn't he keep
off, l hain't been here since Twas full
eight years ago. But if them Linwooders d
ketch me even now 'twould be all up with
me, reckon. What1l / dor If l come
to Linwood, I'll be arrested Ii don't come
to Lnwood, / don't get my rights AS fell
Ter might say, I'm between the devil and deep
sea-"
He stopped to cough, and w@t on with
his meditations aloud:
81 didn't know these woods had been cut
away so or l wouldn't a come yer in day
light. If l can git where I'm agoin' before
anybody senses me, I'm all right. If can't
But | don't know what / wouldn't rather
do than to face Lnwooder right here. I'd
rather take a bath, by golll"
He saw something upon the track and
stopped to pick it up. He wavered as he
stooped and staggered to recover himself
Drunk agin, by Peter!" he remarked,
coolly
But Rip was not drunk
The article he picked up was handker-
chief 1t was ladys, small, snowy and very
fine He held it up in his fingers and made O
face at it.
"Be COLL dinged, if ever see SIGH wipe as
that Hello, there's letters OH it, Them amt
plain English. My son, polish up your fancy
larnin' There's b and there's an E'-'B,
E.. What's that stand furl There she comes,
by golll steppin' along this yer blessed track
Brownie Edgerly. She walks as if the
ground wasn't good enough to hold her. AL
ways walked that way. Hay, Mssz-
Good God, there's the cars!"
The train was behind Brownie, right upon
her, and she did not know it. There was
roar if the earth was rent in twain, and
then darkness The evil Rip had been work
ing all his neglected life may be forgiven him
for the good he did then.
Reader, think of him kindly, after all.
af 10 IL
better that come from some unknown realm
to the worst of men, came to Rip and filed
all his soul in that flash Of time He darted
forward like lightning. He nerved himself
with all the strength that yet lay in his once
powerful right arm, and showed Brownie Off
the track to one side.
At the same instant the engine struck him
in the breast and knocked him off the other
side. Then the monster sped on with its roar
like the wings Of ten thousand angels Of dark
ness.
Rip lay quite still. He did not know it
when careful hands lifted him kindly and
carried him to the stone house. He did not
know it still when a gentle, awestricken
voice, Shirley's own voice, said:
"Lay the poor fellow right in there-put
him on my bed"
He came to himself, and saw himself in a
beautiful room, upon a snowy bed. Faces
were around there that he knew, and they
looked anxious and kindly, every one There
were Shirley and Robert Edgerly, Harry
Carstone, and the ancient doctor, now very
old. He glanced from one to the other. They
looked friendly.
"Don't-don't give me away" he said
feebly
"Never, Rip, neverl" said Shirley. "Don't
be afraid"
A film dimmed his eyes Blood trickled
from his nostrils. He had been crushed in
ternally Shirley wiped the blood away with
a moist sponge. He shuddered
"Don'tp he gasped. "Don't put cold water
on me. Water'll kill me-"
He looked from one to the other again, and
recognized Robert Edgerly. A light came
into his face, and half smile He motioned
family toward the Englishman.
"Brother," said he, twill you shake hands
with me2'
Robert extended his fingers to humor him
The tramp's hand, soiled and clawIhe,
ctainad with God kuoyc ,uhat blood olac,NaJ